CBS’ Survivor goes back to the beach–this time to a tiny, remote island in the South Pacific Marquesas Islands.
The 16 new castaways started their adventure the hard way–being stranded on an island with no rations of food or fresh water. Separated into two tribes, Maraamu (Wind) and Rotu (Rain), the survivors paddled to shore and began to build whatever semblance of a camp they could, while also trying to figure out who was a valuable member and who was not.
After three episodes, the Rotus emerged as the dominant group, having won all the Immunity Challenges. The entire tribe seemed to genuinely like one another and immediately began working as a team to build a fire and search for food and water. Backbiting and strife ran rampant over at the Maraamu tribe, however, where the group struggled to make camp–and then they had the unenviable task to formulate their opinions quickly to be able to choose three members who had to go. Their numbers are whittling away.
First off the island was Peter Harkey, the 45-year-old bowling alley owner from Massachusetts, who showed his spurs too soon by trying to convince the rest of the tribe to vote off the weakest member. He got the axe instead. Next came Patricia Jackson, nicknamed “Momma,” the 49-year-old truck assembler from South Carolina, who had just a little too much assertiveness and bugged the rest of the group by barking out orders. Hunter Ellis, the 33-year-old FedEx pilot from California, was the third member to go, perhaps because he was just too strong and dependable. Can we say “too much competition?”
There are now 13 survivors left. Who’s got the brains and brawn to survive? We’ve made a few observations:
The leaders:
John Carroll (Rotu Tribe): The 36-year-old registered nurse from Omaha, Neb., knows the importance of being a productive member of the tribe and will try his best to remain one, without being too aggressive or too passive. Not an easy feat with this crop of survivors. Plus, he brought massage oils as his luxury.
Kathy Vavrick-O’Brien (Rotu Tribe): The 47-year-old real estate agent from Burlington, Vt., may not be the warm and fuzzy type, but she gets the job done when it’s needed. She is the first to find food for her fellow Rotu tribe members after coming across a cache of sea creatures. Those are big brownie points.
Rob Mariano (Maraamu Tribe): The 26-year-old construction worker from Canton, Mass., has a lot of stamina, and his fellow tribe members like him, even if he couldn’t stomach a Marquesas delicacy of raw fish that had been out for three days.
Still a fighting chance:
Gina Crews (Maraamu Tribe): Even as the numbers in her tribe dwindle, this 29-year-old nature guide from Gainesville, Fla. believes in hard work (and may have to work harder now that her buddy Hunter is gone). If she plays her cards right, she could sneak in there.
Gabriel Cade (Rotu Tribe): This cute 23-year-old bartender from Celo, N.C., has so far managed to keep under the radar, but he’s resourceful and really likes his fellow Rotu tribe members. He and Neleh (see below) should get together.
Neleh Dennis (Rotu Tribe): She’s the 21-year-old student from Utah who reminds us all of the sweet Elizabeth from Survivor: Australia. So, she’s got that going for her, which is nice. She’ll do well if she keeps the cutesy attitude.
Tammy Leitner (Rotu Tribe): This 29-year-old crime reporter from Mesa, Ariz., knows about sticking to a good story. She’ll hang tough when the stakes are high, so watch out for her in the next few weeks.
Not a chance in hell:
Sarah Jones (Maraamu Tribe): This 24-year-old account manager from Newport Beach, Calif., nearly got voted off in the second episode, but Patricia got the extra vote. Apparently, Sarah doesn’t like to help out much. It’ll be curtains soon.
Sean Rector (Maraamu Tribe): The 30-year-old teacher from Harlem, N.Y., is a bit militant about his religious views and his race. He also is lazy, according to his castmates. Not a great combination.
Vecepia Towery (Maraamu Tribe): The 36-year-old office manager from Portland, Ore., has aligned herself with the surly Sean, so if she keeps it up, she’ll probably be off the island just as quickly as her new friend.
Paschal English (Rotu Tribe): This 57-year-old judge from Thomaston, Ga., is a nice enough guy, but his age and limitations may get in the way later on. It’s just the way the game is played, folks.
Robert DeCanio (Rotu Tribe): The 38-year-old limo driver from Queens, N.Y., is a beefy fellow who likes to eat–and he isn’t getting much food on Marquesas. After two episodes, he’s already weak from hunger. His days are most likely numbered.
Zoe Zanidakis (Rotu Tribe): The 35-year-old fishing boat captain may know a few things about catching fish, but she has not made much of an impression on any of her tribe mates thus far. Sometimes it’s not good to fly too long under the radar.
Now it’s your turn to pick whom you think will win it all. Vote on your favorite Survivor: Marquesas castaway in our poll.